News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-03
A FIGHT WITH PECCARIES.
Animals That Will Keep Up Siege
All Night.

"Three Thousand Miles Through
Brazil" contains an animated descrip-
ton of a fight with peccaries: had
barely closed my eyes when l felt my
| hammock violently shaken, and per-
ceived an odor of old pigstyes. 1t be-
| came evident that we we're surrounded
| by some animals, for in many dlrec-
tions was heard the sound of bodies
| moving through the bush, twigs snap
| ping, grass rustling, etc. 1t was mo-
ment of suspense, but not for long, Tor
| suddenly from all around us came
| blood curdling sound of the slmultane-
| Gus swapping of teeth from vast num-
| bers of the enemy, followed by the ap-
| pearance of crowd of charging clack
animals rushing with wonderful speed
toward a common centre-our fort.
Each of us lighted coil of wax tapers
that were prepared ready for the occa-
| sion. And what a scene ensued The
fire was rapidly scattered and partly ex-
| tinguished. Under and around us was
seething mass of black peccaries,
| barely extinguishable in the dim light,
but all pushing and struggling to
| the front. x i = The men in the ham
mocks, after discharging their guns,
reached down and slashed with their
| knives at the swarming animals below
them. The attack was more like the
wild reckless bravery of the Arabs OF the
Soudan, for as pig after pig fell squeal-
ing and disabled, scores more struggled
for his place. x \ They threw them
selves against the fort, regardless of be
ing struck down one after the other,
and always impelled forward by those IN
the rear; others rushed for our ham
mocks, or viciously gashed the trees that
gave us support. The extremely disa-
greeable and nauseous odors of the ami
mails, their swapping of teeth like mus
kerry file firing. the reports of the
firearms, the shouts of the men, the
bowling and barking of the dogs and
the dim light, created an ind1scribably
strange and exciting scene. Every bull
let of my revolver took effect. shouted
to the men to reserve their powder and
fire volleys, but il was like talking in a
appeared to be in immense num-
bers, granting, squealing and gnash-
ing their teeth; but noticeable
above everything was the abominable
exhalations from their bodies, an odor
ike u COMBINATION OIL TANK DuIleT anu
garlick. Then came a diabol-
ical crash of teeth from a complete circle
around us, followed Immediately by
another wild charge, and the battle was
again renewed. Six or seven
other attacks followed, but each one
became weaker, and the intervals of
longer duration. The eventful night
seemed interminable, and finally it was
not until daybreak that we heard the
last grunt. In the morning twenty
seven dead peccaries were found in and
about the camp, and several wounded,
to whom it was necessary to give the
coup de grace. * During the
battle could not help noticing the ap-
parent methods of their movements, as
though they were led by chiefs. Their
mode of attack is to surround in silence
by complete circle the object stormed;
when, at given signal, a simultaneous
swapping of teeth takes place, followed
by a converging rush to the centre,
whereby the largest and strongest reach
the front first and the smallest bring up
the rear. Their retreat is carried out
on an equally methodical system.